Diversity – volume relationships: adding structural arrangement and volume to species – area relationships across forest macrosystems

• DOI: 10.1111/ecog.06723
• Publication Date: 2023-07-14T06:56:33Z
• Authors: Elizabeth A. LaRue; Anna G. Downing; Sheila Saucedo; Arturo Rocha; Sergio A. Vargas ...; Vicente Mata‐Silva; Michael G. Harvey
• Keywords: Understory; Gamma diversity

The species – area relationship (SAR) is a common pattern in which diversity increases with the sampled, but ecosystems are three‐dimensional (3D) and volume relationships (DVRs) may exist that vary substantially their vegetation volume. We tested whether forest volume, as 3D extension of SARs, was significant predictor taxonomic (species) structural (arrangement) five groups organisms across National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Vegetation four arrangement metrics within NEON plots were measured using NEON's discrete return lidar. Species richness number respective plot sampling for understory plants, trees, breeding land birds, small mammals, ground beetles. found negatively predicted plants positively tree beetle USA macrosystem, not bird mammal richness. Furthermore, several describe internal external heterogeneity forests (structural arrangement) ecosystem macrosystem. There site‐level relationships, at all sites, between or organism groups. Our study indicates previous work has focused on 2D conceptualization habitat can be expanded to space, strength positive negative direction DVRs taxonomically geographically.